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Join us next week for Herald van der Linde’s ser

Join us next week for Herald van der Linde’s series of talks in London on ‘Majapahit: Intrigue, betrayal and war in Indonesia’s greatest empire’.

📣 Author Tour of London - Day 2: Anglo-Indonesian Society with the LSE 📚

When: 6.30pm Tuesday 24 June 2025

Where: LSE (London School of Economics), Room 1.15, Cheng Kin Ku Building, 54 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ

(This event is free to attend and is open to the public.)

Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war.

This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

About the author
Herald van der Linde has travelled, lived and worked in Indonesia and Hong Kong since the 90s. Married to an Indonesian, he is passionate about the social and cultural history of Indonesia and is the author of Jakarta: History of a Misunderstood City. Fluent in Dutch, Indonesian and English, he enjoys delving into local Indonesian archives to unearth intriguing narratives from the archipelago’s past.

#AuthorTour #HeraldVanDerLinde #Majapahit #Indonesia #MajapahitEmpire #IndonesianHistory #LondonEvents #FreeLondonEvents #LiteraryEvents #HistoryTalks #LSEEvents #monsoonbooks #SoutheastAsianHistory #AuthorTalk #IndonesianCulture #JavaneseHistory #AsianStudies @heraldvdl

Join us next week for Herald van der Linde’s tal

Join us next week for Herald van der Linde’s talks in London on ‘Majapahit: Intrigue, betrayal and war in Indonesia’s greatest empire’.

📣 ⭐️ Author Tour of London - Day 1: Royal Asiatic Society 📚

When: 6.30pm Monday 23 June 2025
Where: Royal Asiatic Society, 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD
(This event is free to attend and is open to the public.)

Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war.

This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

About the author
Herald van der Linde has travelled, lived and worked in Indonesia and Hong Kong since the 90s. Married to an Indonesian, he is passionate about the social and cultural history of Indonesia and is the author of Jakarta: History of a Misunderstood City. Fluent in Dutch, Indonesian and English, he enjoys delving into local Indonesian archives to unearth intriguing narratives from the archipelago’s past.

#AuthorTour #HeraldVanDerLinde #Majapahit #Indonesia #MajapahitEmpire #IndonesianHistory #LondonEvents #FreeLondonEvents #LiteraryEvents #HistoryTalks #RoyalAsiaticSociety #monsoonbooks #SoutheastAsianHistory #AuthorTalk #IndonesianCulture #JavaneseHistory #AsianStudies @heraldvdl

📢📚Author Tour 📚📢 Join Herald van der

📢📚Author Tour 📚📢

Join Herald van der Linde, author of bestselling ‘Majapahit: Intrigue, betrayal and war in Indonesia’s greatest empire’ in London from 23-25 June. Herald will talk at three events, all of which are open to the public and free to attend.

Monday 23 June / 6.30pm-8pm / Royal Asiatic Society / 14 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2HD

Tuesday 24 June / 6.30pm-8pm / Anglo-Indonesian Society & LSE / Room 1.15, Cheng Kin Ku Building, LSE (London School of Economics), 54 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ

Wednesday 25 June / 5pm-7pm / SOAS / Room RG01, Russell Square: College Buildings, SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies)

We look forward to seeing you!

Synopsis
Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#AuthorTour #HeraldVanDerLinde #Majapahit #Indonesia #MajapahitEmpire #IndonesianHistory #LondonEvents #FreeLondonEvents #LiteraryEvents #HistoryTalks #SOAS #RoyalAsiaticSociety #LSEEvents #monsoonbooks #SoutheastAsianHistory #AuthorTalk #IndonesianCulture #JavaneseHistory #asianstudies @heraldvdl

New audiobook release on Spotify, Storytel and Kob

New audiobook release on Spotify, Storytel and Kobo: “The Boat - Singapore Escape • Cannibalism at Sea” by Walter Gibson. Click the links in our bio to listen to a sample.

In 1942 a ship carrying 500 escapees from Japanese-occupied Singapore set sail from Padang for Ceylon. Halfway to safety she was torpedoed and sank. Amidst the horror and confusion, only one lifeboat was launched — a lifeboat built to carry twenty-eight but to which 135 souls now looked to for salvation.

For twenty-six days she drifted across the Indian Ocean. For twenty-six days, murder, cannibalism, heroism and self-sacrifice drifted with her. When the lifeboat finally ran aground on the island of Sipora, off Sumatra, only four had survived: two Javanese seamen, a Chinese girl, Doris Lim, and Walter Gibson of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

The Boat is Walter Gibson’s true account of that horrific event. He captures vividly the mental trauma, the physical pain, the decision to kill or be killed but above all, the determination not to die.

#survivalstory #cannibal #shipwreck #wwiii #audiobook #audiobookstagram #memoir #truestories #singapore #indonesia #sumatra

Posted @withregram • @jylim_flow #sipandspill

Posted @withregram • @jylim_flow #sipandspill

“Cigarette Girl,” or “Gadis Kretek” in Bahasa, by Ratih Kumala, is the first Indonesian novel I’ve received, read, and fallen in love with—so much so that I’ve been eagerly recommending it to friends for the past two months. Spanning from the era of Dutch colonial rule through Indonesia’s post-war Communist purge, the novel follows the rivalry between two cigarette-making families, weaving together themes of tragedy, romance, and redemption. At its center is Jeng Yah, an ambitious, charismatic woman whose quest is to create the world’s finest cigarette flavor. The story ends with an enduring message: that younger generations own the integrity to right the wrongs of those who came before them.

@gadiskretek not only penned the original novel but also served as one of the screenwriters for its Netflix adaptation, a five-part series. “Rewriting Cigarette Girl as a drama,” Ratih explains, “gave me an opportunity to revise the ending in a way that filled some of the gaps I felt were missing in the novel.” The resulting adaptation is arguably one of the most successful and artistically compelling dramas that came out of Southeast Asia in the past decade.

Historical novels like Cigarette Girl have a unique power: they enrich our history textbooks by capturing the experiences and interactions of those who came before us—breathing life into the past with color, texture, and even aroma. Cigarette Girl powerfully blends cultural insight with a vivid narrative to illuminate history, with the intention of inspiring hope for intergenerational healing.

#southeastasianpride #southeastasian #asean #seasolidarity #aseanmatters #bahasa #indonesian #southeastasianliterature #shelftherapy #ubudwritersandreadersfestival

Posted @withregram • @gnolbo ANJING MENGEONG, KU

Posted @withregram • @gnolbo ANJING MENGEONG, KUCING MENGGONGGONG (THE DOG MEOWS, THE CAT BARKS) will be published in English! Rights have been acquired by New Directions (US), Pushkin Press (UK), Speaking Tiger (India) & Monsoon Books (SEAsia) through @pontasagency. Originally published in Indonesian by @sastragpu.

#indonesianauthor #indonesianliterature #monsoonbooks #ekakurniawan #publishingdeal

Kudos to author Herald van der Linde for deliverin

Kudos to author Herald van der Linde for delivering a talk to Singapore Heritage Society (and one inquisitive cat) on ‘Political Tensions, Cultural Connections: Majapahit and its relationship with Singapore’ at SingLit Station. The event was sold out and well received, and Herald kindly signed copies of his book after the event. We look forward to welcoming Herald back to Singapore soon.

Synopsis of Majapahit
Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#majapahit #monsoonbooks #booklaunch #singlit #singaporehistory @singlitstation @sgheritagesociety @definitelybooks @heraldvdl

Thank you Fong Min Hun of LitBooks in KL for moder

Thank you Fong Min Hun of LitBooks in KL for moderating another fantastic talk by Herald van der Linde, author of ‘Majapahit’, and to the staff of Cziplee in Bangsar Village II for hosting the event and Leslie Lim of Pansing Distribution for arranging the talk.

Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#majapahit #monsoonbooks #booklaunch @mylitbooks @cziplee @definitelybooks @heraldvdl

Congratulations to Herald van der Linde, author of

Congratulations to Herald van der Linde, author of ‘Majapahit’, for his very engaging talk and book signing at Kinokuniya bookstore in KLCC, Malaysia. And huge thanks to Rose Gan, author of the Penang Chronicles series ‘Dragon’, ‘Pearl’ and ‘Emporium’, for introducing and interviewing Herald about his book, and Pansing book distributors for putting together such a well-attended and entertaining event.

Synopsis of Majapahit
Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#majapahit #penangchronicles #monsoonbooks #booklaunch @heraldvdl @rosegan @kino.kl .kl @definitelybooks

Posted @withregram • @waywordabdn Meet author

Posted @withregram • @waywordabdn

Meet author Nuril Basri at WayWORD Festival www.waywordfestival.com

Queer Indonesian writing with Nuril Basri: discussing his novel ‘Not a Virgin’, a queer coming-of-age tale set in Jakarta, and Maya, a tragicomic tale of an Indonesian migrant worker’s voyage. 26 Nov, 6.30pm.
Book at www.waywordfestival.com

Singapore Heritage Society event plug …Posted @w

Singapore Heritage Society event plug …Posted @withregram

Political Tensions, Cultural Connections - Majapahit and its Relationship with Singapore: A Book Talk by Herald van der Linde

Visit @sgheritagesociety for a registration link.

In the 14th and 15th Centuries, the Majapahit empire reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its political influence extended across much of modern-day Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Join us for this book talk by Herald van der Linde, the author of a new book chronicling the fascinating history of Majapahit! This history does not just include the political intrigues, family feuds and military expeditions that led to the rise and fall of this Javanese state; but also its religious diversity, artistic achievement and grand historical epics that have maintained the memories of this once-flourishing empire to the present day. Herald van der Linde will also be talking about the shared histories between Majapahit and Singapore (or the kingdom of Temasek, as it was once known). Learn more about the geopolitical tensions (and even warfare!) between the two states, as well as the economic and cultural connections that connected them both despite the conflicts. Finally, Herald van der Linde will be sharing his reflection on the contemporary relevance of this ancient kingdom, as well as the various lessons that modern-day Southeast Asian societies can learn and adapt from the history of Majapahit.

Copies of “Majapahit: Intrigue, betrayal and war in Indonesia’s greatest empire” available for sale at the talk!

Event Details:
Date: 26 November 2024, Tuesday
Time: 7.00 PM to 8.00 PM (registration opens 15 minutes before)
Venue Address: 22 Dickson Rd, #02-01, Singapore 209506 (Sing Lit Station)

Cleaning the Monsoon Books office and I came acros

Cleaning the Monsoon Books office and I came across a drawer of treasure: 2 x Iwan Fals albums on cassette from the late 1980s and a packet of Suharto’s kretek cigarettes from the presidential palace.

How surreal to find these side-by-side: a symbol of the Great Asian Hero (Iwan Fals) and the Great Asian Dictator (Suharto), each a force in their own way.

(For youngsters, a cassette is like a chunky plastic box that holds music on a long, fragile ribbon. To play it, you pop it into a player, press ‘play’, and hope it doesn’t tangle. Rewinding? Often a job for a pencil. And if you don’t know what cigarettes are, good for you, don’t ask.)

@iwanfals @gadiskretek #iwanfals #iwanfalsfans #indonesia #java #suharto #indonesianmusic #indonesianhistory #sejarahindonesia #monsoonbooks

Posted @withregram • @kqky Starting this book to

Posted @withregram • @kqky Starting this book today!

Success continues for ‘Majapahit’ by Herald va

Success continues for ‘Majapahit’ by Herald van der Linde as the book performs very well in Indonesia, wider Southeast Asia, UK and Australia (and launching soon in USA).

Thank you to The Jakarta Post for reviewing the book earlier this week.

“New book on Majapahit recounts tale of ‘Indonesia’s greatest empire’ Filled with Games of Thrones-worthy drama and intrigue, Majapahit: Intrigue, Betrayal and War in Indonesia’s Greatest Empire tells the stories of the Majapahit starting from the late 13th century, along with its kings, wives and admirals, many of whose names are already familiar to Indonesian students of history.” Radhiyya Indra (The Jakarta Post). Google the newspaper to read the review.

Synopsis:
Discover Majapahit, Indonesia’s greatest empire. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Majapahit kingdom reigned supreme in eastern Java, and its influence extended throughout Asia.

Walk the bustling streets of Majapahit, a melting pot of aristocratic Javanese, matted-haired Brahmins, hermits in bark cloth, widows dressed in white, and Chinese, Persian and Arab traders. Discover beautiful temples and imposing palaces, and markets brimming with goods from all over Asia.

At the heart of Majapahit’s story are eccentric kings and queens embroiled in bloody family feuds, and a tipsy court scribe who has the good sense to write down everything he sees. Witness the drama of royal intrigues, murders, revenge and war. This is not just the story of an empire’s rise and fall, it is an exploration of a society rich in religious diversity, social tolerance and artistic achievement, and a society – much like Indonesia today – which must navigate its way in the challenging tapestry of Chinese and Southeast Asian geopolitics.

#majapahit #java #indonesianhistory #history #narrativehistory

If you’re in Duxton Road, Singapore, in October,

If you’re in Duxton Road, Singapore, in October, check out the 2-meter-long banner that has appeared in the window of Book Bar, Singapore’s favourite indie bookstore: Millie Lee shares her nightmare of a story for Halloween.

Synopsis:
Millie Lee is twenty-two, smart and ready to start the Singaporean media job of her dreams. She just has to avoid the sexual advances of dirty old men in a newsroom both digitally and emotionally stunted.

This proves to be a tougher challenge than she expected.

Her supervisor wants to sleep with her. Her editor wants to take bets on sleeping with her and her CEO thinks her cleavage will boost their TikTok numbers.

Will Millie survive the casual misogyny of Hokkien Half-Ball, Peranakan Pervert, Uncle Groper, Slick Scholar, Captain Mayhem and other questionable colleagues in the old-school haunts of news reporting, TV and radio?

This is the fictional memoir of a young woman in Singapore trying to make it in a man’s media world.

#dirtyoldmediamen #cikopek #halloween #buysinglit #sglit #singapore #singaporeauthors #metoo @bookbarsg @definitelybooks

A shout out to Singapore’s Straits Times for the

A shout out to Singapore’s Straits Times for the hilarious author photo credit. In their review of ‘Maya’ by Nuril Basri, they credited the author’s photo to Nuril Basri’s alter ego: Keanuril Basreeves 😂. We love it! And so does Keanu.

Synopsis of ‘Maya’:
The tragicomic tale of an Indonesian migrant worker’s voyage through love and betrayal.
Maya, a thirty-something Indonesian caught in the undercurrent of life’s uncertainty, takes a leap of faith from the chaos of Jakarta to a job as a waitress aboard a European cruise ship. There, she meets sassy Kanompang from Bangkok, handsome Oleksii from Ukraine, and Maroje, her Croatian prince and first love. In a world where relationships are as transient as the ports she visits, Maya grapples with love, lies and unfulfilled desires. But when her voyage of discovery takes a darker turn in the backstreets of London, where betrayal and misery are a familiar fate for migrant workers, Maya must navigate unscrupulous women, naked men, challenging relationships and the pull of home.
Set in cruise ship cabins, East London pubs and West End brothels, this tragicomedy is a tale of survival, a search for identity, and the hope of finding a harbour in life’s stormy sea.

@keanureevesfanpage2020 @keanureeves.media @teamkreeves #monsoonbooks #indonesia #indonesianauthor @nurilbasri @definitelybooks